importance of counselling in social work practice
(Rowland, 1993) It is a developmental process in which one individual (the social work counsellor) provides to another individual or group (the client), guidance and encouragement, as well as challenge and inspiration, in creatively managing and resolving practical, personal and relationship issues, in achieving goals, and in self realisation. According to the National Career Development Association, a career counselor is someone educated, trained, and experienced in helping employees overcome career obstacles and achieve their highest career aspirations through assessment, performance improvement, career transition, career planning, workplace, and worklife balance situations (Ginac, 2004). (Pease & Fook, 1999) Counselling and casework also find favour with those who look at social work, in its entirety, as a process where different components work synergistically with each other in helping and supporting individuals. I hope there are a lot of practitioners who could read this and be guided accordingly. Counselors use a myriad of techniques and approaches to improve the mental health and wellbeing of clients. We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Psychoeducation: A basic psychotherapeutic intervention for patients with schizophrenia and their families. Multicultural counseling is a term used to describe a specific type of counseling practice that acknowledges how various aspects of a patient's cultural identity might influence their mental health. In practice, social workers show cultural humility by identifying their own implicit biases, seeking to understand the cultural context of their clients actions and demonstrating acceptance of differences. Interdisciplinary Training: Preparing Counselors for Collaborative Practice Bonnie Estridge Talks It through London Jobs/Opportunities, 2004, October 14, The Evening Standard (London, England), p. 61, Parrott, L, 2002, Social Work and Social Care, London: Routledge, Parton, N. They are found in a variety of settings in all parts of the world. Social workers should assess a client's ongoing treatment needs prior to initiating termination. (Moore, 2003) Many of these perspectives are assimilated to such an extent that people have little control over them and are bound to impact the working of counsellors if not understood, isolated and overcome. (Pease & Fook, 1999), Counselling, in its basic form, involves the meeting of a counsellor and a service user in a private and confidential setting to investigate the emotional and mental difficulties, and distress, the service user may be having because of varying person-specific reasons. A counsellor can help the person to get back on their feet and feel empowered and stronger than ever. Psychoeducation can help normalize problems, decrease stigma, and increase compliance with treatment plans. Looking for a flexible role? Apart from the directly beneficial effect that occurs through counselling, much of the social work approach that needs to be adopted in specific cases for other interventionist activity is decided on the basis of feedback provided by counsellors. This allows the experience (such as loss of a loved one, surviving a sexual assault, or having abusive parents) to become normalized to some degree and opens up a new avenue for healing.